Flags and wardrobes - local craft supplies and crafts people in Tholen

The Flag: In Tholen there's a fantastic haberdashery called Astid Kleermakerij.  It's a treasure trove of fabric, wool, buttons, advice and the unexpected.  Using a selection of material featuring dutch style motifs, with clog wearing children, windmills and alike, I made a flag for the atelier. A little bit of red, white and blue to brighten up the corner between atelier28 and idee bij leen (our new neighbour, with handmade jewellery, memo boards, soap chains and much more!!). 

The wardrobe: We've been looking at wardrobes for years to fit in out attic appartment...and couldn't find one that fitted, both in size and style. Tholen is full of craftsman, so I made a design sketch for a simple rustic wardrobe and Sjaak Lindhout from a local interior design and furniture makers got to work for us. It was even erected in situ since the stairway is too narrow. It's just what we wanted! A 'what you see is what you get' wardrobe. Lovely chunky doors which look different in all lights.  It even smells nice! 

Francesco's nieuwste schilderij - havenstadje (Francesco's latest painting)

Francesco's nieuwste schilderij van een havenstadje. (acryl op doek 60 x60cm)

Inspired by a card I brought back from England, Francesco's just finished this painting in acrylic (60 x 60cm). He's called it an impression of a town harbour.

jurk gemaakt van handgeschept papier (dress made from handmade paper)

This dress is 100% paper. Including the straps!!  The bodice is made from handmade paper made from a mix of pulps: Japanese bark, rhubarb, apple and banana skins.  All prepared from scratch. And the skirt is a kind of mulberry paper that is very fine and translucent...and dances with the light.  The straps and the join in the back of the bodice is made from very fine paper yarn which I bought a week or so ago from a fellow paper lover Linda Thalmann.  More artwork incorporating handmade paper can be seen on display in KunstCentrum Tholen.

papier draad (Japanese paper and felt bead necklace)

This necklace has been made with paper yarn, following a method used in Japan.  It's quite laborious starting with preparing the bark from the kozo tree, a kind of mulberry tree.  The bark is cooked with soda until the fibres soften.  It is then thoroughly rinsed in cold water, traditionally this was done by rinsing it in a stream.  Before it can be used to make paper, it needs to be beaten to seperate the fibres, so they are not too clumpy. 

To form good even and thin sheets a special viscous substance called formation aid is added to the vat.  This allows the fibre to flow slowly back and forth on the papermaking mould as the water drains through. The newly formed sheets are stacked on top of each other and pressed over night to squeeze most of the water out. The next day they can be separated one by one and layed out on a flat surface to dry.

So, now the paper's ready it can be turned into yarn.  This works best if the paper is dampened slightly.  It is trimmed into strips and rolled.  The short strips can then be joined together similar to how wool is twisted and joined together to form yarn.

Before making the necklace I treated the yarn with a waterproofer to give extra strength.  The hand felted beads are made from undied sheeps wool.

boekjes gemaakt met handgeschept papier (handmade paper book with bookmark suitable for sketching and painting)

I've been experimenting with coptic binding because I like the way the book stays open instead of closing on itself.  I made these little sketch books with various handmade papers and bound them with paper yarn. The pages are good quality handmade papers suitbable for drawing or painting on.  Some have been adorned with prints of dutch houses or bicycles and all of them have bookmarks attached. "Made in Holland" beads have also been added as a finishing touch! They can be found in my etsy shop. 

nieuwe dingen in mijn etsy winkel (new additions to my etsy shop - origami earrings and necklaces made with paper yarn)

These are my latest creations. Paper jewellery: origami earrings made with Japanese origami paper. Peace cranes embelished with heart and elephant beads.  Plus crochet paper yarn necklaces.  The brown natural yarn is very fine and delicate, yet strong, and the white is thicker giving it more body.

onze nieuwe visitekaartjes zijn aangekomen

Onze nieuwe visitekaartjes zijn aangekomen!

Morphing Rembrandt: Rembrandt door de jaren heen

nog een ets... (another etching...)

Een ets van verliefd paar...

An etching of a couple on a park bench...

andrea's nieuwste etsen (andrea's newest etchings)

Nieuwste etsen vandaag afgedrukt. De inkt is nog nat!  Gemaakt op kleine koper plaatjes 9 x 6 cm.

Newest etchings printed off today.  The ink is still wet!  Made on small copper plates 9 x 6 cm.